Prevention Abbreviations

The term prevention refers to the action and effect of preventing. The concept, therefore, allows us to designate the preparation of something in advance for a certain purpose, the fact of foreseeing damage or anticipating possible barriers, conflicts or problems, among other meanings.

Risk , in turn, has a more remote etymological origin, more precisely in the Arabic word rizq, which means “what provides providence”. The term is associated with the proximity of possible harm and vulnerability.

These definitions allow us to understand that the concept of risk prevention is related to the preparation of defensive measures to anticipate and minimize potential damages. In other words: to face a situation or activity inherently risky by its own characteristics, people take certain precautions in case the risk occurs and becomes a danger to integrity.

Risk prevention is very important in the workplace, especially in those that imply a greater possibility of harm to the worker (such as civil construction, mining or the chemical industry, for example).

The objective of occupational risk prevention is to reduce accidents at work and minimize damage if they occur. It therefore includes a certain organizational system for the activity and the use of suitable clothing to protect the worker’s health (helmet, fire-retardant clothing, etc.).
Control of toxic materials and waste is also part of risk prevention in the industry to take care of worker health and to avoid contamination in the vicinity of factories.

Risk prevention in the work environment can also include medical and hospital environments, for example, carrying out disease control, risk factor control, among others. In this case, in addition to the use of protective equipment, constant surveillance and personal hygiene are also encouraged.

In short, prevention is developed when one seeks to eliminate agents or situations that present risk or to reduce them, which, in this case, are considered preventive measures that alter the work process in the environment intended for it.

In the prevention of risks, there is a concern to consider the work process, giving value to communication and education about the risks of workers, contributing to the strengthening of appropriate practices at work.

In Brazil, there is the so-called PPRA – Environmental Risk Prevention Program, which is mandatory in companies and institutions that hire workers through the CLT regime. This program is intended to promote attitudes aimed at preserving the health and safety of workers.

It is through this program that the company carries out an assessment of possible risks in the work environment and defines the measures that will be implemented for prevention. There is even a standard (NR) that regulates this definition.

Regarding the risks, they can be any type of potential risks to which a worker is subject: risks related to the work environment, regarding safety conditions, regarding the aforementioned biological or chemical pollutants, as well as the mental or physical demands that jeopardize the health of the employee.

List of Acronyms Related to Prevention